As of today, training is officialy over.

We have strived for at least 3 weeks, enduring long sit down lectures for hours on end, talking about rules that everyone who has attended HIGH SCHOOL should know by now, but also at the same time learning important skills for where we will be headed. In our case, Red Cross disaster relief training, First Aid and CPR training, Van driver training, Carpentry and painting skills and so forth. Starting tomorrow we are official AmeriCorps*NCCC members ready to be deployed out into the real world to who ever needs assistance, wheither it be Environmental restoration projects, tutoring kids at a local elementary school or for 6 lucky teams "Ours included", disaster relief on the gulf coast.

Although teams going on disaster relief still don't know where they're going, we are most likely going to go help victims of Hurricane's Katrina and Wilma. But that doesnt mean we are all going down to Louisiana, some of us will probably be sent there, but others might be sent to other areas affected by the hurricane, such as Mississippi and Florida, where Wilma hit earlier this week. But enough talking about what is to be expected.

So as far as the 3 weeks have gone, I have made way more friends here then I have ever made back at home. Not everyone back in Portland that I have met previously has ever has as open of a mind as every single individual here. Instead of shunning you because you're, say, REALLY into technology, people here look at that as an awesome advantage and like to come and ask you for help while at the same time, actually talking and getting to know you more.

Everyone here has been extremely cool and nice to hang out with. I think that so far, my decision to come to AmeriCorps to serve is one of the best decisions I have made. Once we start on our projects, We will truely see how our team handles ourselves. So far I am very hopefull from what I saw on Make A Difference Day. Although I was at a tent helping with the other Service Learning Coordinators with painting and helping kids pull plants out of the Garden in the back of the park, I didn't really get to see much of my team that day. But the previous day "Prep day", we all worked on planting small trees near the top part of the park. The trees weighed about 150-200lbs each, maybe even more, but we all pitched in and worked hard on the trees and got at least 5 of them planted, no complaints, only good vibes the whole day.

As far as everyone outside of the team, I am going to miss a whole lot of them. Especially everyone in my hall. Out of the 3 halls in this building, Lewis hall has to be the best. We have yet to have an incident report written up for anyone in this hall, as compared to the other halls which have had 5-7 reports written for people living in Harrel and Barnes hall. Its everyones opinion that Lewis Hall is definatly the chill hall to hang out in. Everyone here knows everyone and is friends with everyone. I'm always hanging out with one group of people or another every night after quiet hours, Mainly with Rigo and Mike, my room mates. But we usualy go into Mandy, Kathrine and Liz's room and just hang out until about midnight when we all have to go to bed. Other times i'm chillin in the Lounge with a few people watching what ever movie is on, "So far we've had Boondock Saints, 13 ghosts, Underworld, Sin City, Girl Fight, and some others that I can't think of right now". But when I'm not in the building, I've gone to hooters with Jessica and Danelle, Chilled down in chinatown with Beth, Cassie and Mike, Visted the national memorials and museums with all the people i've mentioned so far and for now, we have yet to be jumped on the Subway or at the bus station. It helps to be a 6'4 tall big white guy, :P

But as I have mentioned, Training is just about over. We have the rest of today and then we are done. My dad's flying down to meet me here hopefully to drop off my speakers that were in my room at home. I miss those babys so much :(. But mainly he's flying down for induction. On our time off I hope to show him around downtown DC and just hangout with him the majority of Saturday and maybe Sunday if possible.

I hope to have pictures of everyone I know in a few days, but that depends on if my dad brings his digital camera. Most likely he will cause its INDUCTION TOMORROW. durh durh durh. But after induction, we all leave for our projects. I pray that our team holds together as well as it has so far, and nothing serious comes up in the next 10 months.

Thats it for now.